November 2019

Advice Column, Child, Health, Lifestyle, Parenting

Ambulances are for emergencies only

Too often we read about emergency services and the police force spending hundreds of thousands of Rands on wasted resources due to prank or non-emergency calls. Some emergency services report receiving up to 50 abusive or hoax calls every day. Not only does this waste valuable time for the highly trained personnel but it also causes disruptions to responses to real emergencies and puts people’s lives in danger.

Advice Column, Lifestyle, Parenting, Tech, Tween & Teen

Technology in the Classroom – A South African Perspective

Early introduction of technology in schools is important to close the gap between our current situation and where we need our future graduates to be. It is predicted that by 2031 all repetitive tasks will be replaced by robots, so it is no longer enough to merely teach a child how to use a computer. Children need to be taught those skills that robots cannot do. According to Michelle Lissoos, Managing Director of Think Ahead, these skills include empathy, creativity, and higher cognitive thinking. Using technology to teach these human characteristics might seem contradictory, but technology can open doors for children which would otherwise be impossible in certain home situations.

Advice Column, Baby, Parenting, Pregnancy & Baby, Toddler

Developmental Milestones…What’s the fuss?

If you are a parent or are around parents of young children, there is a high chance that you’ve heard about developmental milestones. You may have even read about it in a baby book or an article, heard from your paediatrician or from any other professional specialising in early childhood development. You may have heard parents proudly speak about the fact that their child has skipped certain milestones, such as crawling and has gone straight to walking, and so they’re now “ahead of the pack”. You may have seen the complete opposite, parents in a frenzy because their child is one month behind in some of their milestones. You may have heard others completely disregard milestones all together. So what is the fuss all about? How important are milestones really?

Advice Column, Child, Parenting, Toddler

The importance of exposing your child to the arts

As a father of two boys, I am constantly inspired and challenged, to expose my children to the variety of cultural avenues available to them. For those who are not aware, I am both a music educator and performer and have spent many years collaborating with, or working alongside, artists of many kinds. Being involved in the cultural department here at Crawford La Lucia, I have to been exposed to the various arts disciplines on offer and have been privileged to work alongside colleagues who invest in their pupils with determination, creativity, and excellence.

Advice Column, Parenting, Tween & Teen

The secret to speaking teen

Whilst modern technology and its increased usage is seen as a boon to teenagers, most parents have a total opposite view of this. The question then remains…… Is technology to be blamed for poor communication between parents and teenagers? The answer quite simply is NO since a lack of communication between parents and teenagers is an age-old issue.

Advice Column, Child, Parenting, Toddler

LITTLE WORRIERS

In today’s world anxiety is becoming more and more prevalent in children. While it is a normal and necessary emotion, designed to protect us, it can inhibit as well. Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in children.

Advice Column, Baby, Parenting, Pregnancy & Baby, Toddler

Enjoy the great outdoors with your kids – Thule style

If you love all things nature-inspired, summer is the best time to get your kids involved in your downtime activities – from hikes, to cycling trails and running trails. The most important thing is to be organised and prepared, plus have the right gear to make things efficient and easy on the day. Enter Swedish brand, Thule, which creates a range of premium products, so that you and your family can fully immerse yourself in your given outdoor activity… plus a roundup of some of the best hikes, cycling trails and running trails to do with young kids.

Advice Column, Child, Education, Home Education, Parenting

Life skills curriculum in the media: Where does Impaq stand?

The Sunday Times article, ‘Sex lessons for modern grade 4s in new life orientation curriculum’ (12 May 2019), drew strong reactions from educators and parents alike. The article discussed the Department of Basic Education’s proposed changes to the content for sex education as part of the life skills curriculum. According to the article, the revised content includes explicit details for learners as young as ten. The department argues that the inclusion of sex education in the curriculum is aligned to UNESCO’s international technical guidance on sexuality education. In response to the article, the Department of Education denied that explicit information will be included in new textbooks.

Advice Column, Child, Parenting, Toddler

Sleep and Your Pre-School Child

A lack of sleep is debilitating, and your pre-schooler’s disruptive sleep patterns can affect the whole family. Children between the ages of 3 and 5 need 11 to 13 hours of sleep a day, and also need a nap during the day. Establishing good sleeping habits as early as possible is recommended. One solution will not suit all children.

Advice Column, Lifestyle, Parenting, Tech

Social exposure: examining the underlying insecurities in the future of robotics

The social influence of robots on people and the insecurities this can bring should not be underestimated. Research conducted by Kaspersky and Ghent University has found that robots can effectively extract sensitive information from people who trust them, by persuading them to take unsafe actions. For example, in certain scenarios, the presence of a robot can have a big impact on people’s willingness to give out access to secure buildings.

Advice Column, Bonitas, Health, Lifestyle, Parenting

When you have a pain in the neck or back

Back pain is a common problem – 80% of us will experience an episode at some point in our lives. It is associated with many factors that vary from person to person but can be caused by an injury, a disc or joint problem, an irritated nerve root or poor posture. The pain might be acute or chronic but living with either can be debilitating.

Advice Column, Child, Education, Health, Home Education, Lifestyle, Parenting, Tween & Teen

How bullying can affect your child’s mental health

We’ve all heard the saying, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. But recent research shows that that is not the case. In their book Words Can Change Your Brain, Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman write: “A single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.” The saying would perhaps then be more accurate if changed to sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can change my brain.

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